Spicy Chocolate Cherry Cookies Recipe
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Spicy Chocolate Cherry Cookies are about to be your new go-to treat! Imagine taking a bite of a cookie that’s a symphony of textures and flavors – crispy, chewy, spicy, and sweet.
Yes, you heard that right—this decadent treat perfectly merges the rich depth of chocolate with the juicy allure of maraschino cherries and a kick of spices like cayenne and ancho chili powder.
Whether you’re thinking of adding something new to your holiday cookie tray or simply wanting a delicious cookie for Valentine’s Day, this recipe is a game-changer!
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While you may prefer to skip to the recipe card, we suggest reading the entire blog post to avoid missing valuable tips and substitution suggestions and to ensure you have the necessary ingredients, equipment, and understanding of the steps and timings.
Spicy Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Chocolate lovers, rejoice! Your new favorite cookie recipe awaits.
The key to making these spicy chocolate cherry cookies truly unforgettable lies in the blend of flavors.
We’re not just talking about your everyday cookie recipe here. Maraschino cherries add a lovely, juicy sweetness that’s a delightful contrast to the rich dark chocolate chips.
The mix of cayenne powder and ancho chili powder offers a surprising yet comforting warmth, transforming these from regular chocolate cherry cookies into something extraordinary.
Once your cookies are baked and cooling on a wire rack, it’s time to think about how you want to enjoy them.
They’re perfect for a cookie exchange or as part of a decadent spread for a dinner party.
Pair these with a scoop of Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream for an indulgent dessert.
Store any leftover baked cookies in an airtight container or Ziplock bag in the freezer for the next time you crave a spicy-sweet treat.
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
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Ingredients Needed For Spicy Chocolate Cherry Cookies
- Chilled & Dairy – Unsalted Butter, Large Eggs
- Pantry – Salt
- Light Brown Sugar
- White Granulated Sugar
- Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Such as Dutch Process Cocoa Powder.
- Dutch process cocoa undergoes treatment with an alkali solution to reduce its natural acidity. This special process gives it a smoother texture, deeper color, and often a richer chocolate flavor compared to natural cocoa.
- When you use Dutch process cocoa in your baked goods, these enhanced qualities truly stand out, elevating your treats to a whole new level of deliciousness.
- Cake Flour is a finely milled flour with lower protein content and less gluten. It is lighter and softer than all-purpose flour. Using it in cookies makes them softer, fluffier, and more cake-like.
- You can make your own cake flour by measuring 1 leveled cup of all-purpose (plain flour), removing 2 tablespoons, and adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (cornflour). Sift well before using.
- All-Purpose Flour – also known as Plain Flour.
- Cornstarch – also known as Cornflour.
- Baking Soda – also known as Bicarbonate of Soda.
- Cayenne Pepper
- Ancho Chili Powder
- Ground Cinnamon
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – You can use plain or milk chocolate chips in this recipe or even white chocolate chips for a color contrast.
- Maraschino Cherries
The complete list of ingredients with measurements is on the recipe card at the end of this post.
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Equipment Needed For This Recipe
- Electric Mixer – either a handheld or standing mixer.
- Mixing Bowls
- Rubber/Silicone Spatula – or you could use a Wooden Spoon.
- Ice Cream Scoop – with a trigger button. The scoop helps to get even portions of cookie dough.
- Large Cookie Sheets
- Parchment Paper – also known as baking paper or greaseproof paper.
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping/Cutting Board
- Mixing Bowls
- Rubber/Silicone Spatula – or you could use a Wooden Spoon.
The Purple Pumpkin Blog uses both cups and weighted measurements in its recipes, making American cups and kitchen food scales valuable tools for trying all the recipes. We provide US customary, imperial, and metric measurements. Still, it’s important to note that while you can combine cup measurements with weighted measures, never mix US customary/imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.) with metric (kilograms, grams, liters, etc.).
Dinner Party Menu Suggestions
You’ve made the dessert, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:
- Appetizer: Brie and Cherry Cups
- Soup: Instant Pot Tomato Soup
- Salad: Orange Pomegranate Salad with Goat Cheese
- Main Dish: Apple and Rosemary Stuffed Pork Chops
- Side Dish: Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Cocktail: Apple Cider Margarita
How Do I Make Spicy Chocolate Cherry Cookies?
The printable recipe card with the ingredients list and instructions can be found at the end of this post.
Number of Servings: 15
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes
Step 1 – Dehydrate Cherries: Preheat your oven to its lowest. Chop the cherries and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Squeeze the liquid from the cherries and then place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the cherries in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
Step 2 – Preheat and Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas 6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and set it aside.
Step 3 – Prepare Wet Ingredients: To make the cookie dough, place the butter and sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream together on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 4 – Prepare Dry Ingredients: Sift or whisk flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cayenne powder, ancho chili powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Step 5 – Make Cookie Dough: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, one measuring cup at a time, and mix on low speed to combine. Add the chocolate chips and chopped dried cherries to the bowl and mix to combine. Cover the bowl and place the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
TIP! Reserve some of the chocolate chips and cherries to stud into the top of the cookies when they first come out of the oven.
Step 6 – Form Cookies: Use a large ice cream scoop to scoop out portions of dough, approximately 3½oz/100g, and roll them into balls. Place the dough balls onto prepared baking sheets about 2″/5cm apart.
Step 7 – Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Storing Leftovers & Freezing
- Storing Leftovers:
- Cool (within 1-2 hours), transfer to an airtight container, and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing Instructions:
- For longer storage, freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then transfer to an airtight container.
- Label with the dish’s name, thawing/reheating instructions, and the date to keep track of your food storage.
- Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw the cookies at room temperature before serving.
- With all leftovers, ensure the food looks and smells okay before consuming.
- You can always consult the Food Standards Agency in your country for the most up-to-date advice on storing and freezing foods: Food Standards Agency (UK) | Food Safety (USA).
Printable Spicy Chocolate Cherry Cookies Recipe Card
Below is the printable recipe card. To save ink, any demonstration photos on the recipe card are not printed out.
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Spicy Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Imagine biting into a cookie that surprises you with every layer of flavor. Introducing Spicy Chocolate Cherry Cookies, where sweet maraschino cherries blend seamlessly with rich cocoa and a kick of spice.
Ingredients
- 1 cup maraschino cherries
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch (cornflour)
- ¾ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cayenne powder
- ½ tsp ancho chili powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to its lowest. Chop the cherries and place them on a plate lined with a paper towel. Squeeze the liquid from the cherries and then place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the cherries in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas 6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and set it aside.
- To make the cookie dough, use an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to cream the butter and sugars on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Sift or whisk the cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, cake flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cayenne powder, ancho chili powder, and cinnamon into a large bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients one cup at a time and mix on low to combine. Add the chocolate chips and diced cherries to the bowl and mix to combine. Cover the bowl and place the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Use a large ice cream scoop to scoop out portions of dough, approximately 3½oz/100g, and roll them into balls. Place the dough balls onto prepared baking sheets about 2"/5cm apart.
- Bake the cookies in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 354Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 160mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 2gSugar: 29gProtein: 4g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
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